The Back Take from Ashi Garami represents a critical strategic pivot in the modern leg lock game, allowing practitioners to convert leg entanglement control into the most dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When an opponent successfully defends leg attacks by hiding their heel or creates defensive frames that prevent submission finishes, the back take offers an alternative path to victory that maintains offensive momentum rather than resetting to neutral positions.
This transition exploits a fundamental vulnerability in leg lock defense: when opponents sit up aggressively to address leg attacks or attempt to extract their trapped leg, they often expose their back. The technique requires recognizing the precise moment when opponent commits their weight forward and redirecting their momentum to facilitate the transition. Rather than forcing submissions against strong defense, the back take follows the principle of flowing to the path of least resistance while maintaining constant threat.
The back take from ashi has become increasingly important in modern competition as leg lock defenses have improved. High-level practitioners use the threat of leg attacks to create back take opportunities, and the threat of back takes to create leg lock openings. This creates a systematic dilemma where defending one attack opens vulnerability to the other, embodying the interconnected nature of positional grappling at advanced levels.
From Position: Inside Ashi-Garami (Top) Success Rate: 55%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Back Control | 55% |
| Failure | Inside Ashi-Garami | 30% |
| Counter | Turtle | 15% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Recognize when opponent’s defensive posture creates back exp… | Maintain low, compact posture when defending leg attacks to … |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Recognize when opponent’s defensive posture creates back exposure by sitting up or reaching toward you
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Maintain control of trapped leg throughout transition to prevent complete escape and preserve attacking options
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Use opponent’s forward momentum against them by redirecting rather than resisting their defensive movement
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Establish upper body control before releasing leg control to ensure seamless transition to back position
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Create angle toward opponent’s back before initiating transition rather than moving directly behind
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Maintain constant forward pressure during transition to prevent opponent from recovering guard or standing
Execution Steps
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Recognize the trigger: Identify when opponent sits up to address leg control or reaches forward to create defensive frames,…
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Secure upper body connection: Before releasing any leg control, reach with your inside arm to secure a grip on opponent’s far shou…
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Release inside leg: Remove your inside leg from across opponent’s hip while maintaining outside leg hook, using this leg…
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Circle toward back: Hip escape and circle your body toward opponent’s back, using your outside leg hook as an anchor poi…
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Establish seatbelt control: As you arrive at opponent’s back, secure seatbelt grip with one arm over their shoulder and other un…
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Insert second hook: Release remaining leg control on opponent’s original trapped leg and insert second hook inside their…
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Consolidate position: Pull opponent onto their side or take them down to the mat, establishing chest-to-back connection wi…
Common Mistakes
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Releasing leg control before establishing upper body grip on opponent
- Consequence: Opponent escapes completely to standing or guard position, losing all positional advantage gained from leg entanglement
- Correction: Always secure upper body grip with at least one hand before releasing any leg control, ensuring continuous connection throughout transition
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Attempting back take when opponent is not sitting up or reaching forward
- Consequence: Opponent easily defends by maintaining low posture and you lose leg entanglement without gaining back position
- Correction: Only initiate back take when opponent commits weight forward, otherwise continue threatening leg attacks to create the opening
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Moving directly behind opponent instead of circling at an angle
- Consequence: Opponent can easily turn and face you or turtle defensively, preventing clean back control establishment
- Correction: Circle toward opponent’s back at an angle, using hip movement to arrive at their side before transitioning fully behind
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Maintain low, compact posture when defending leg attacks to avoid exposing your back through forward weight commitment
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Address heel defense through hip rotation and knee positioning rather than sitting up or reaching forward toward attacker
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Recognize the transition attempt early by feeling for upper body grip establishment and inside leg release from your hip
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Deny seatbelt control as the highest priority once the back take is initiated since hooks without harness are escapable
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Keep elbows tight to your body to prevent underhook penetration that facilitates the circling motion toward your back
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Use explosive directional changes to disrupt the attacker’s circling path before they complete the arc to your back
Recognition Cues
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Attacker reaches one arm toward your far shoulder, collar, or underhook while still maintaining leg control - this signals they are establishing the upper body connection prerequisite
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Attacker’s inside leg releases from across your hip and you feel reduced pressure on that side, indicating they are beginning the circling motion toward your back
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Attacker shifts their weight from perpendicular leg control alignment to angling their body toward your back side, changing the direction of pressure you feel
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Attacker loosens or releases heel grip while simultaneously increasing upper body grip pressure, indicating the transition from leg attack to positional advancement
Defensive Options
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Immediately turn into the attacker and establish closed guard by facing them and closing your legs around their waist before they can complete the circle to your back - When: When you feel the inside leg release from your hip and the attacker begins circling, but before they establish seatbelt or first hook
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Stand up explosively and create distance by driving your hips forward and away, stripping any remaining leg hooks and upper body grips through posture and movement - When: Early in the transition when attacker has released inside leg but has not yet secured strong upper body control or seatbelt grip
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Turtle defensively by dropping to hands and knees with tight elbows and tucked chin, denying the clean back take and forcing attacker to work from turtle top instead - When: When the attacker has already begun establishing back position and turning into guard is no longer viable, but full back control is not yet secured
Position Integration
The Back Take from Ashi represents a critical branch point in the modern leg lock system, connecting leg entanglements to the back control submission system. This technique embodies the principle of position over submission - when leg attacks are defended, converting to the most dominant position maintains offensive pressure. The transition integrates with the broader ashi garami system as an alternative outcome when opponents successfully defend heel exposure, creating a systematic dilemma: defend the heel and expose the back, or maintain back safety and allow leg attack progression. This technique chains naturally with back control submissions including rear naked choke, armbar from back, and bow and arrow choke. It also works in reverse - the threat of back take forces opponents to address upper body control, which can re-expose their heel for leg attacks.